Professional Documents
Culture Documents
0 September 2014
Summary
Everything we perceive is dependent.
You cannot have an infinite regress of causal
dependencies.
Therefore, there must exist an independent eternal
cause.
Defining Dependent
1. Something is dependent if it is not necessary:
It could have failed to exist or its building blocks could
have been arranged in a different way.
Notes
Nothing that we can perceive can survive
independent of other things, there is nothing in our
perception that is self-subsistent.
Everything we perceive depends on something else
for their existence.
Everything we perceive has building blocks that
could have been arranged in another way. Therefore
they must have been determined.
Everything dependent has limited physical qualities.
Possible Conclusions
1. All we perceive depends for its existence on
something else, which in turn depends on
still another thing, ad infinitum.
2. All we perceive exists eternally and is selfsubsisting (dependent on itself).
3. All we perceive derives its existence from
something else that exists by its own nature
and that is accordingly eternal and
independent.
Causal dependencies
ad infinitum is impossible
Oil
Marine plants
and animals
Necessarily Exists
As for the authors words, He is Eternal
without a beginning, Everlasting without an
end, they explain the meaning of the Divine
names, the First and the LastWho
necessarily exists by Himself in order to
avoid an infinite regress.
Al-'aqidah At-Tahawiyyah. Commentary On The Creed of At-Tahawi. By Ibn Abi
Al 'Izz.
Therefore
All we perceive derives its existence from
something else that exists by its own nature and
that is accordingly eternal and independent.
This is best explained by Allahs existence
He is independent
Everything depends on Him
He sustains everything
He is everlasting
He is self-sufficient
Allah is free/independent
from need of the worlds .
Quran 3:97
= everything that exists
One day I set out to tend my fields, accompanied by my little dog, sworn enemy of the monkeys
which ravaged the plantations. It was the season of great heat. My dog and I were so hot that we could
scarcely breathe. I began to think that one or other of us would soon fall in a faint. Then, thank God, I
saw a Tiayki tree, the branches of which presented a vault of refreshing greenery. My dog gave little
cries of joy and turned towards this blessed shade.
When he had reached the shade, instead of staying where he was, he came back to me, his tongue out.
Seeing how his flanks were palpitating, I realised how completely exhausted he was. I walked towards
the shade. My dog was full of joy. Then, for a moment, I pretended to continue on my way. The poor
beast groaned plaintively, but followed me none the less, his tail between his legs. He was obviously in
despair, but determined to follow me, whatever might come of it. This fidelity moved me profoundly.
How could one fully appreciate the readiness of this animal to follow me, even to death, although he
was under no constraint to do so? He is devoted to me, I said to myself, because he regards me as his
master and so risks his life simply to stay beside me. 'Oh my Lord,' I cried, Heal my troubled soul!
Make my fidelity like that of this being whom I call, contemptuously, a dog. Give me, as You have
given to him, the strength to master my life so that I may accomplish Your will and followwithout
asking, Where am I going?the path upon which You guide me! I am not the creator of this dog, yet
he follows me in docility, at the cost of a thousand sufferings. It is You, Lord, who has gifted him with
this virtue. Give, Oh Lord, to all who ask it of Youas I dothe virtue of Love and the courage of
Charity!' Then I retraced my steps and took refuge in the shade. Full of joy, my little companion lay
down facing me so that his eyes were turned to mine, as though he wished to speak seriously to
me. By G. Eton
Questions?